


When The Rain Ends

by Nihonkikuasa211



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Holding Hands, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 09:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5534369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nihonkikuasa211/pseuds/Nihonkikuasa211
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal runs after Christa in the rain after a child dies in the ER.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When The Rain Ends

_When The Rain Ends_

“Christa!” Neal ran outside in the rain, feeling the wetness across his back as he stood abruptly as the blond resident remained still as the heavy rain poured.

                “Leave me alone.”

                Those were the words that Neal did not want to hear. If it had been any other day, he would – the attending stopped himself at the lie. If it had been Mario or Angus or Malaya who had a patient die, he would let them be. _But…_ It was always Christa. Neal understood from the moment she had told him about her son’s death that what he felt for the resident went beyond what he should feel for a student or even a colleague. He thought about the blond resident more than he should, and their distance – _“As an attending or a friend?”_ – made his heart want to dream of something beyond his reach deep within his heart. And now, as he stood in the rain with Christa’s back towards him, Neal realized of how deep his feelings had gone.

                A young toddler had come in with pneumonia. It was a severe case, and Neal had watched as her eyes drowned in agony the little girl stopped breathing. They had done the best they could with the young life that had yet to live. Neal had remembered a feeling of dread as Christa told him of the child’s failing vital signs. Even an experienced ER doctor as him felt the scenes blur as the mother’s screaming and kneeing as the flat line sounded. The woman, with her dark hair falling into her eyes, clutching the body of her child as sobs wracked her body. Christa remained eerily still, so still Neal wanted to go to her and tell her the words choked in his throat. But then she had left, her face almost breaking from the strain of the grief in her eyes as she started to run. Neal had wanted to run. How his legs desperately wanted to run after her, to tell the resident empty words. He did not know that Leanne was beside him until her brown eyes echoed into his own and told him to go.

                He ran. Neal found it hard to focus on anything else besides Christa as he ran outside of the ER and found the resident standing outside in the rain. The rain was drenching them both, Neal’s hair starting to stick to his forehead and Christa’s dark blue scrubs appearing black as the rain continued to fall. Neal remained still as Christa turned towards him, her skin wet and her hair plastered across her face. Her eyes, blue and swollen, as he stared at the beautiful woman before him.

                “On the day my son died,” Christa whispered, her voice thick and halting as she stared at the older doctor, “I felt so numb. I couldn’t even feel anything when I felt his last breath. I…” her breath hitched, and her eyes looked upward in a vain attempt to stop the tears from falling. “My husband was the one who cried. I may have held him in my arms, but the sobs that came from him were the tears that I couldn’t shed that day.” Her head lowered, and her whisper was almost lost in the rain. “I couldn’t even cry at his funeral.”

                _But you are crying now, Christa._ Neal thought as he watched the blond resident look up towards the rain again. _Your very sorrow and pain…I saw it when the little girl died, her mother holding onto her. I can hear the pain in your voice whenever you mention the grief of your son’s death to your patients. I once thought…that perhaps Leanne would help you, that she would be your guide to ease your grief. But Christa,_ Neal thought as he watched Christa’s body shake and her head bowing as violent sobs came from her chest, _you told me of the greatest wound to your heart. I do not know why you would tell me, why you mention the agony of your son’s death when a situation mirrors your own, and why are you mentioning this now._ Neal walked up to Christa, slowly, and put his arm on her shaking shoulder. He remembered what he had told Leanne after Jesse’s heart attack. _“You think Jesse’s all you’ve got, but you’re wrong. You have me. You have all of us.”_ The sight of those eyes, those soulful eyes that Neal sometimes dreamed of, drowning in pain and agony, was too much of him to bear. Without any words, Neal embraced Christa.

                Her could feel her tears against his neck as she cried, felt her arms reach out to him as he held her, her warmth and the coldness of their soaked scrubs against his body. _I cannot bear to see you cry._ His hand caressed her wet hair, moving his shoulder to where she rested her head as she continued to cry. _When I see your pain, it is like your pain is my own, crushing me and drowning me. It as if…I have no other pain than yours._ He could feel her heartbeat against his own, hoping that she could not feel of how rapid it was as Christa began to calm and her crying ceased.

                For a moment, Christa didn’t move. Her head was still lying across Neal’s shoulder, and her even breaths echoed in Neal’s mind as he continued to caress her hair.

                “Thank you,” she whispered. Neal swallowed heavily, her gaze on his as she stared at his face. Her hair was against her forehead, drops of rain coming down her face and neck. He swallowed again, his eyes closing briefly. _I have to stop these thoughts._ Neal almost gasped when she felt her hand cup his cheek. “Neal…” she whispered, his eyes drowning from her gaze. His body couldn’t move. His mind only seemed to be aware of his beating heart, increasing further as he could see the drops of rain coming down her cheeks.

                Neal could feel her lips against his own as their lips connected. Her lips were cold from the rain, but they were soft against his own and became warm as he started to kiss back. It was warm and felt brilliant as they began to kiss fully, her hands entwined in his hair and his hands caressing her sides.

                “Oh,” was his only response when they pulled back. Neal could feel his face flush, his breathing somewhat heavy as he stared at Christa across from him. He could see her observing him, her eyes never leaving the stunned expression on his face. “Christa, I –”

                He was silenced with another kiss on the lips, this once tender and gentle. He stared at the loving expression on her face as she took her hand in his and entwined their fingers.

                “We should go back,” Christa whispered as her eyes bored into his. For some reason, Neal’s mind remained blank for a moment before he remembered the agony that caused him to run after Christa in the first place.

                “We should,” Neal stated with a glance at the resident. She smiled, a smile that had never seen before, and the doctor found himself smiling as well.

                They didn’t let go of their hands until the doors of the ER opened.

**Author's Note:**

> We desperately need more stories about my OTP In Code Black.


End file.
